Big business dreams come true

It was always Deneka Pusey's wish to do well in life and ensure that even if her support system was not the strongest, she would rise to the occasion.

This persistence has afforded her the opportunity to travel to Delaware, United States with a national team having represented her school well.

Pusey entered a local competition, the Diamond Challenge and along with her colleagues, pitched a business proposal, for which she was titled best speaker, and given the opportunity to represent her country on the international scene.

The Diamond Challenge is part of the Paul & Linda McConnell Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative, launched in 2014. Its purpose is to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurial thinkers.

Studying business administra-tion under the Career Advancement Programme at the Knox Community College, Pusey's team pitched the business idea 'Paradise Care' - an initiative which seeks to transform trash into treasure. The business supports cottage industry while beautifying the environment and educating the masses on eco-friendliness.

As the only student from her school who will travel to Delaware, Pusey told The Gleaner that the opportunity is nothing short of amazing.

"It's pretty exciting because I have never travelled before and this experience is going to be amazing. It's just two of us from Jamaica who will be going and as just me from my school. There are things that I have been through and because of those things I had no idea that I would be where I am today. The programme has really showed me that I can do anything I put my mind to. It was a team of four of us and I am the only one chosen to head to Delaware."

Pusey said in addition to what she will experience from the programme she is hoping that the business will take off locally and that people will take to the idea of being eco-friendly.